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D.C. United Coachspeak: Thomas Rongen | 10 Questions: Richie Williams
Posted: Monday March 20, 2000 12:53 PM
By Jeff Green, CNNSI.com Don't be too surprised if D.C. United -- the official Best Team in American Soccer -- has a 16- or 17-year-old running its offense at some point this year. The defending MLS champion could see its depth tested this season as never before in MLS Year 5. D.C. expects to be without its two top attacking players, midfielder Marco Etcheverry and forward Jaime Moreno, for as many as eight games due to Bolivia's World Cup qualifying campaign. Up to nine of its American players also could miss games for national team and Olympic team commitments. "We know this year again is going to be a hell of a challenge for us," said second-year coach Thomas Rongen. "It's important for us that we stay healthy and get a good contribution from [players] 12 through 20, which we did last year. "I think the season's going to be testing for a lot of guys who are going to be torn between their club commitment and their national team."
Since United's inception, Etcheverry has been the conductor of the offense, the league's best last year. The league's MVP in 1998 and the runner-up last year, "El Diablo" leads the league all-time in assists, with 66. In Etcheverry's absence, Rongen said he will likely turn to Antonio Otero, a second-year player from American University who turns 23 in May. "Otero has proven in preseason that he can play centrally," said the former Mutiny and Revolution coach, who took over for Bruce Arena last year. "Bobby Convey might even get some playing time there," Rongen said of the 16-year-old phenom, the youngest player ever signed by MLS. "He's shown that he has warranted some minutes this year." The only true question mark for D.C. heading into 2000 is off the field. United's investor group, which includes billionaire financier George Soros, has been shopping the team's rights for more than a year. They are reported to be asking in the neighborhood of $25 million. Not rebuilding, but reloadingIt's becoming an annual rite in D.C. -- winning a title and then beginning a quick and effective rebuilding effort, or "reloading" as the club calls it. Shortly after capturing MLS Cup last year, D.C. said goodbye to the all-time leading scorer in MLS, Roy Lassiter, and starting right defender Diego Sonora. In preseason it traded the No. 1 overall pick in last year's draft, left-sided midfielder Jason Moore, to Colorado for a future pick.
Funny thing is, no one appears to be overly concerned with the losses. Rongen said that Carey Talley will step in at right back for Sonora, while John Maessner will keep the starting left midfield spot and A.J. Wood, 26, will compete with Chris Albright, 21, to start alongside Moreno. "Between [Albright] and A.J., I think they're going to be close, or maybe even surpass, the numbers that Roy Lassiter put up, and that's what we're looking for," Rongen said. "The biggest decision I have to make prior to that first game of the season -- which one deserves to start based on their performances. They're going neck and neck right now. "Saying that, we probably won't have Jaime there for the first game anyway, so they'll probably both start." Aside from Lassiter, who led the team in scoring last year with 18 goals, Rongen's first 11 will be the same unit that won the championship last year. The Convey factorWhen United selected Convey with the No. 10 pick overall in February's SuperDraft, it was because the team already had the depth to wait for Convey to develop. "We've got the luxury of thinking long-term," said general manager Kevin Payne. They may not have to wait very long for Convey, who played with the U.S. team at the Under-17 World Cup last November. "He can play up front as the second striker, or he can play behind the front two, which is probably his best position," Rongen said after coaching Convey through preseason. "But at the MLS level, that's a little bit of a compliment, but also a big burden to carry your team from that position. I don't know if we want to put him in that situation." "Of course, I'm going to get pushed around a little bit," said the 5-foot-8, 150-pound Convey. "But I think I can ride tackles better than I could before, so I think I'll be fine." "He's a scrappy little kid from Philly that can play," Rongen said after seeing him in his first preseason game. Weeks later, Rongen indicated that Convey's progress could herald a step forward for the development of youth players in the U.S. "I think that he is going to lead the way for guys to come out early, especially if they're going to see him play and contribute this year in MLS, which I really think he can and will," Rongen said. "I think what he's learned already now with us, he could've not learned in years staying in high school soccer and getting the occasional game with the U-18s or U-20s." Convey, who turns 17 in May, is living with Payne and his family until he's ready to move out on his own. Time for a bigger trophy caseHaving won three of the four MLS championships, D.C. United does not think small when it sets goals. What are those goals? "To win as many trophies as possible," Rongen said, mentioning the MLS, U.S. Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions Cup titles. "We certainly should go further in the Open Cup; that was a disappointment for us" last year, he said. "Hopefully, we can get back to win the CONCACAF title and finish up around the World Club Championship." It's hard to imagine that under Bruce Arena in 1996, D.C. lost its first four games, and six of its first seven, before making personnel changes and turning things around. Under Arena, the team went on the win the MLS Cup and U.S. Open Cup in 1996, the MLS Cup in 1997, the CONCACAF Champions Cup and the Interamerican Cup in 1998, and finally the MLS Cup again in 1999 under the Dutch-born Rongen. "We've obviously done a lot in a short amount of time," said Rongen. "Youth combined with experience has helped us to sustain the level that we've reached. Our attitude is great. Winning is always contagious, and we've carried that over this year into preseason, and we haven't lost a game yet. "People like Richie Williams pretty much encapsulate the attitude that we carry with us," Rongen said of the scrappy but diminutive 29-year-old, who does the dirty work for Etcheverry in a central midfield role. Consider also that United enters the season with at least 13 players who are in the picture for either their country's full or youth national teams. Along with Williams, D.C.'s regulars on the U.S. national team are flanker Ben Olsen and defenders Jeff Agoos, Eddie Pope and Carlos Llamosa. Goalkeeper Tom Presthus and defender Carey Talley are also in the picture. The first player off the bench in a defensive role is likely to be Canadian international Geoff Aunger, while Albright and Otero hope to be playing for the U.S. in the Olympics come September. And if all goes well come October, United will be playing on its home field in front a packed house in MLS Cup.
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